August 7, 2008

Because we love anything that allows us to experience some shred of what the country’s business, scientific, cultural, and political leaders were like back in the day, you can imagine my glee when I discovered this amazing clip of vintage David Suzuki from 1972. Suzuki was too busy to participate in our book, but this clip, originally airing on the CBC, gives a very clear idea of who he was back in his early days as a popular zoology prof at UBC. Not only is his fruitfly/maggot analogy hilarious, but his reflection on the year he left scientific study to wrestle with the ethics of the discipline is remarkably interesting.

Best of all though is the image of a blissed out Suzuki reclining in his office hammock. I gotta get me one a those.

The CBC Digital Archives allow you to map Suzuki’s career through his TV appearances – an interesting vantage point on the professional development of the man leading the charge for a greener Canada.